Hands Off Special Education!

We need to sound the alarm on the proposed & recent cuts to the Dept of Education, specifically those to Special Education Services & the core functions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These staffing cuts aren't just budget adjustments; they are a direct attack on the rights and well-being on our nation's children with disabilities.

IDEA is a landmark civil rights law that guarantees a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for every child with a disability. It ensures access to specialized instruction, related services like speech, occupational, and physical therapy, & essential legal protections.

I have listened to this poem by Lederick Horne a few times since these most recent actions to the Dept. of Education's Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). I feel so many emotions like anger, disappointment, scared, & sad. I don't know what to think & barely know what to do. 

Decimating the staff responsible for IDEA enforcement means less monitoring of states & districts, increasing the risk children will be denied the services they are legally entitled. 

Special education is the foundation for opportunity. Cuts will have devastating, immediate, and long-term consequences. Special education provides students with the specialized tools they need to learn, gain independence, and successfully transition into adulthood. Cutting these services puts them at higher risk for lower academic achievement, higher dropout rates, and limited employment opportunities.

The fight to protect special education is a fight for civil rights, for equity, and for the promise of a full education for all children. 

It's time to make our voices heard now!! 

If you're not sure what to do or you're experiencing a lot of emotions, all I can say is let yourself have those emotions. But find someone to talk with. Then, after that, here's what you can do: 

• Reach out to your Congressman / woman. Urge them to oppose any cuts to the Department of Education, to block any dismantling of IDEA enforcement offices, & advocate for the funding of IDEA.
• Spread the Word: Educate others about the immediate threat to special education services.

Our children deserve better. Our future depends on it.

 #ProtectIDEA #FundSpecialEd #DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights